Improvement in fire-arms



y of its being loaded and discharged with great with the butt of the chambers shall'permit charging the sets of chambers Uy means of a distinct applications for patents. In it A rep- NiTn-n dramas' r.

JonaT A.. REYNOLDS, OF ELMiRA, New YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. lfhflgg, dated July 17, 11555.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. REYNOLDS, of the town of Elmira', county of Chemung, and State of New York, respectfully represents that your petitioner has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Arms, called' Reynolds Land and Marine Battery, and l hereby declare that thefollowin g is afull-,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in so constructing and arranging the parts or portions of a manifold fire-arm that it shall admit celerity and at the same tixnewith safety to the operator.

It consists chiefly in placing or arranging the several chambers or portions ofthe barrels upon al hollow cylinder, supported at its periphery by suitable rings and ribs, (to receive the recoil,) so that while they are radial therethe touch-hole to be reached from within the cylinder, while the discharge ends shall be retained in close connection with the superior portions of the barrel. l

It also consists in the arrangement of the swabbing device in such a manner that it shall be performed upon one of the sets of chambers simultaneously with the discharge o t one or more of the other` sets on the same cylinder.

It further consists in simultaneously disbar-hammer, as further described, operating on any of the percussion compositions irrespective of the condition in which it is used.

It further consists in the mod/e of capping or placing the igniting material op the projecting nipples of the revolving cylinder, said device ing of the chamber takes place.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view not only of the machine of which this application ismade, but also embracing portions which I propose making the subject of resent`s the revolving hollow cylinder, formed of metal, in which the chambers et c (see Fig. 2) are arranged i n parallel lines. (See Fig. 3,

wherein are shown the cartridges partially introduced.) ,These chambers are radial with the center of the cylinder, and may be lined with steel, wrought-iron, or other metal.

b b represent the nipples inserted into the butt-end ofthe chamber, with which they communicate by a suitable vent or touch-hole.

B is the superior portion of the barrels, united l a'screw-n nt, serving to produce a close conuection of the barrels and chambers and overcome thel wear thereof by the under side of bar d', forcing the barrel to slightly slide, when it is made to enter a groove across the barrel.

The cylinder A is supported at thek ends by the sides D, and by ribsffff, Fig. 5, interposedgztween each series ot' chambers. The object of introducing ribs instead of a solid bearing to receive the recoil is to allow of any accidental discharge without injury to the mechanism or to the operator.

The device-for turning the cylinder A consists in levers E E, pivoted at g, and united with a cross-bar, 7i, at the top, on which the operator applies his hand, while their lower c nds are united with a cross-har, upon which the broad pawl z', Fig. 2, is permitted to move.

K is one of a pair of springs secured to the back portion of the 'ramin g o, their ends pressing upon the cylinder, and under which the stubs of the flap i are brought, so that when the flap is forced over the cylinder from notch Z to the next notch therein the springs are likewise raised. It is by the tlap-pawl i entering the notches ot' the cylinder that its revolution is effected.

The device for loading consists of a perforated hlock, F, introduced at the rear of the machine upon a short metal platform placed immediately over the cylinder A. This block vFfis'fu'riished with racks on its under sides, (see Fig. 6,) which mesh into the grooves lof the cylinder, and as the cylinder is revolved byv the lever E the block F is successively drawn forward under the plnngers or rammcrs of the machine.

The loading device consistsof a foot or pedal piece, G, situate at the lower portion'of the rear of the frame. E H are upright sliding straps, extending from G to a pair of levers, k k, said levers pivoted at m m. Between the levers is a sliding cross-head, L, moving vertically in guides v 2 by virtue of a connection with the lerers'K K. The cross-head has depending,r from its lower side plungers or rammers M, (see Fig. 2,) and -pair of springs 3 3 are placed under lc k for the purpose of retracting or throwing up the levers, ctc., when the foot is withdrawn `from the pedal.

The loading is en'eeted as follows: The can triilge-block E having` been brought, with a chine.) Between 5 ofone sideand G ofthe other is placenta cross-bar, o, having on its upper side alsjet ofsmallplunge1s,(see FigL3,) whose omce is toorce the caps from a perforated bottom cylinder, i). By the plungerlcoming in contact with the headot a cap it is forced from the cylinderonto the nipples Z) b. The cappingcylinder P receives its motion by means ofcogs upon each end thereof, which mesh into corresponding cogs on A, so that when A is turned by the lever E, as before described, the cylinderP is moved simultaneouslytherewith. The cylinder instead oi' being supported on journels, i'ssuspendedin flanged hoops, embracing more than half of its diameter on the one side, while on the opposite side the hoop is cntire. The object of the half-hoop is to admit of the removal and changing of P with greater facility. The half-hoop for the one side may. be suspended by straps? 7, forming springs, or it may be hinged. v

The device for discharging and swabbing the chambers is as follows: R, like all other levers, is one 0f a pair of upright levers, with crosspiece at the top thereof for the hand of the op erator. Itis piroted at 8. S is a barconnected with R by a bolt, 9. Its function is that of op erating the hammer T, which extends from one end of the cylinder tothe other, and operates also the swabbers'n n, (see Fig. 7,) the ends of the swabber-bar being guided in suitable slots, l0', in the sides of the machine. U is a backset, which being connected with the bar S at its end by the projecting end of the swabbing-bar, itis made to retreat from the hammer when the front end ofthe bar S is drawn by R,the movement of U being allowed by an upright slot, 11, near its angle, through which alarge-headed boltpasses. Visthemai'nspring ofthe lock. l't is connected with thestem of the hammer by bolt l2, whiie the hammer-stem is pivoted below it, at 13. W is a sIa-pspring playingrthrough a slot in the bar S. It has two angular projections (see Figs. 8 and 9) upon v its inner face. The ottico of the one is to catch on the ear 149cm the hammer-stock andI draw it bach, while the other projectiomin passing a post, l5, throws the spring into the slot of S, and releases the front catch from the ear 14 and permits the hammer T to be driven by spring Y against the capped nipples.

W ith the view of more perfectly swabbing the chambers, the swabs, in their withdrawal, are made to pass between sheets of sponge or other suitable material for retaining water, by which the filth drawn with the swab may be removed therefrom. lt will be observed in giving direction to theswabbers u n that they move in a line radial to the center of the cyl inder A and perform their oii'ice upon a set of chambers below the barrels B B.

The object of the backset U is to throw the hammer T suliciently from the inner face of the cylinder, so as to permit it to rotate witliont the caps on thc nipples ofthe cylinder being` disturbed by the hammer.

The swabbing-box is shown in Fig. 7 with the lid thrown open. It consists of a square metallic box corresponding with the space ocwith sponge` fastened in the box, having likewise sponge' This sponge is made to conform to the shape of the swab, and when copied bythe barrels. Itl is filled secured to the lid.

the lid is closed the swab passes between the sheets of sponge thus presented, and, as before noticed, the filth is removed. This sponge may be kept moist by water admitted into the box. f

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Constructing fire-arms with a hollow cylinder, A, containing chambers c a., as described, in connection with barrels B B, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.A

2. Loading the chambers a a by foot-pedal G, straps H H, levers K K, operating the plungers M, in combination with the simultaneous capping of the nipples by leverN, straps 5 and 6, cross-bar O, and plungers thereon, for removing caps from cylinder Pand placing them on the nipples, as set forth.

3. Drawing the hammer T by lever R and bar S, furnished with spring YV and catch thereon, or its equivalent,in connection with the angular liberating projection or spring W and the liberating-post 15, for the purposes set forth. v

4. Drawing the hammer back in the main ner set forth, irr combination with the simultaneous swabbing of the discharged chambers, in the manner substantially as described.

5. Likewise the swabbing-box containing the swabs n n, as described, 4furnished with sponge or its equivalent, the. whole operating substantially' in the manner and for the purposes set forth iu the foregoing specification.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

w. s. onlinr, 5 domi F. CLARK. 

